Isaiah Project hold Spring Achievers Ball

The 2011 Spring Achiever’s Ball held at the Grand Concourse in Station Square included an award presentation, entertainment and motivational speakers. It allowed young people to see that their surroundings do not dictate their future, said founder and president of The Isaiah Project, Sharon Nelson Daniels. TIP is under the umbrella of My Brothers’ Keeper, a transitional living facility; and community-based organization in Pittsburgh.

The Isaiah Project is one of the answers to the senseless violence, poor education and lack of youth development young people are experiencing today, said Daniels.

“As we all know the offenders keep getting younger and the rate of homicides has practically doubled in the last several years. Many of our young people don’t expect to live past the age of 25. Today through capacity building we have been able to work with our young people targeting this vulnerable population of 14- through 19-year-old teenagers,” Daniels said was the reason for the event.

She said their focus was on changing destructive behaviors and thinking, while replacing that negativity with academic enrichment, spiritual awareness, a positive work ethic and most importantly general life skills, she said that they believe these are the principles that help to break the generational curses that are responsible for the demise of our young ­people.